Process of cracking coal and oil



Jan. 19, 1932. w. E. TRENT PRocEss oF CRACKING COAL AND OIL Filed Nov. '7, 192'? Patented Jan. 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATE-Nr OFFICE WALTER EDWIN TRENT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T THE TRENT PROCESS COR- PORATION, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE PROCESS OR CRACKING COAL AND OIL .i Application led November 7, 1927. Serial No. 231,669.

My invention relates to improvements in the process for production of baked amalgam 4 in conjunction with the production of gasoline or other liquid fuels and is an improve- 5 ment on the method described in my Patent N o. 1,589,023. In Vsaid patent I make my coaloil amalgam accordin to the process described in detail in my atents Nos. 1,420,164 and 1,420,165 and bake it into a hard residue in the manner described in my Patent No. 1,512,427. An object of my invention is to continuously carry on the treatment of crude oil or cracking stock to produce gasoline and heavier fractions and simultaneously therewith to utilize the heavier fractions in amalgamating coal particles, and also baking the amalgam formed, all under optimum conditions as respects recovery of waste heat in diiferent stages of the cracking and amalgambaking operations and utilization thereof in other stages.

A further object of my invention is to continuously produce more oijl and more gasoline from the distillate from the baked amalgam by preferably continuously recycling and/oi` recracking the condensables recovered from the amal am baking furnace. It is apparent that due to the recycling of the light condensa-bles from the amalgam-baking furnace and recracking them, additional amounts of gasoline and suitable amalgamatin stock are at all times produced preferab y continuously, thereby greatly decreasing the amount of original charging stock to be continuously added to the system.

Further objects of my invention relate to an improved arrangement of apparatus for carrying out my method and which includes in combination with amalgamatin and baking apparatus the latestptypes o cracking stills, reaction chambers and other oil cracking equipment.' In the system I preferably employ a. flash vaporizer and preferably control the temperature of vaporization so that a heavy amalframating residue will be continuously produced, and in order to procure the desired grades of gasoline Without refining, I preferably install a fractionating column in the system to draw off the gasoline of the desired specific gravity overhead and to produce additional bottoms therefrom which are lighter than the bottoms normally recovered from the Hash vaporizer. In order that an amalgamating stock of the desired consistency for amalgamation may be continuously produced I preferably mix the desired proportion of the lighter bottoms from the fractionating column with the heavier bottoms from the Hash vaporizer to continuously produce an amalgamating stock of the desired consistency, and I preferably return the balance of the bottoms from the fractionating column not mixed With the Hash vaporizer bottoms to the charging stock. It is apparent that various modifications may be made from the specific arrangement of apparatus shown and that the apparatus is subject to a Wide ield of variation, particularly as to the temperatures employed and as to the points where overheads are removed from the bottoms, and if desired a vaporizer may be inserted ahead of the cracking still in the system, as shown in my Patent No. 1,589,023.

'These and such other objects of my 1n- 'vention as may hereinafter appear will be best understood from a description of a suitable apparatus for carrying ont my improved method such as is diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a crude oil and cracking stock storage reservoir from which the oil may be flowed chamber 8 where the cracking reaction continues. It is apparent that both the cracking still 3 and the reaction' chamber 8 may consist of any suitable type now on the market. After the cracked oil has passed through the reaction chamber 8 it is' led through the pipe 10 to the flash vaporizer 12. Hero the lut heavy amalgamating residue is separated from its light overhead and drawn off as bottoms through the pipe 14 to the amalamator 16 for use therein in amalgamating hnely pulverized carbonaceous material as described in my Patents Nos. 1,420,164 and 1,420,165. The overhead from the flash vaporizer 12, which may consist of both gasoline and heavier fractions unsuitable for the manufacture of gasoline, is led through the pipe 18 to the fractionating column 20 of standard type, preferably provided with the bubble plates 22. The fractionating column 20 is preferably so regulated that gasoline of the desired specific gravity may be taken off overhead and thus cleanly separated from the heavier constituents of the overhead from the flash vaporizer. The gasoline is taken off from the top of the fractionating column 20 through the pipe 24, suitably condensed in the condenser 26 and led through the pipe 28 to the gasoline storage tank 30. The bottoms from the fractionating column then consist of a more or less heavy residuum of all fractions heavier than gasoline but which is lighter than the bottoms taken 0E through the pipe 14 from the flash vaporizer 12.

' These lighter bottoms from the fractionating column 2O are led from the bottom thereof through the pipe 32. The pipe 32 leads directly to the crude oil and cracking stock storage tank 1 and is provided with a connecting pipe 34 leading to the pipe 14 which discharges the bottoms from the flash vaporizer 12 into the amalgamator 16. The pipe 32 is provided beyond the point Where it connects with the pipe 34 with the valve 36 and the pipe 34 is provided with a valve 38. One feature of my invention consists in mixing a portion of the lighter bottoms from the fractionating column 20 with the heavier bottoms from the flash vaporizer 12 to continuously produce an amalgamating stock of the desired consistency. The portion of the fractionating column bottoms not mixed with the flash vaporizer bottoms is led, as stated, through the pipe 32 to the crude oil storage tank 1. It is thus obvious that by proper regulation of the valves 38 and 36 in the pipes 34 and 32, respectively, that the desired amount of lighter bottoms from the fractionating column 2O can be continuously mixed With the heavier bottoms from the flash vaporizer 12 to continuously produce an amalgamating stock of the desired consistency.

The tank .16 is a standard amalgamating tank such as described in my Patent No.; 1,420,165. The tank 16 is preferably provided With the baffles 40 so as to produce a circuitous flow of the pulverized carbonaceous material, Water and oil therethrough. Thev pulverized coal mixed with water is fed into said tank 16 through the chute 42 and the contents of the tank are continuously agitated by the revolving blades 44 suitably mounted on the driven shaft 46.

The product resulting from the amalgamating operation, whichv consists of agglomerated masses of coal, oil and Water having physical characteristics and appearance somewhat resembling that of caviar, and the rejected impurities contained Within the Wash Water are then led from the amalgamator through the pipe 48 to the separator 50. While any type of suitable separator may be employed to separate the caviar-like amalgam masses from the water and rejected ash and other impurities contained therein, I preferably emplo the continuously revolving belt 52 provi ed with the projections 54 thereon to carry the caviar-like masses away from the Wash water and contained impurities and discharge them into the hopper 56 of the extruding machine 58, whic is preferably emloyed to shape the amalgam into suitable riquette form for baking. The wash water and contained impurities'are continuously discharged from the separator 5() through the pipe 60.

The caviar-like amalgam masses fed into the hopper 56 of the extruding machines 58 are preferably compressed by the revolving screw 62 thereof, fed through the end thereof in cylindrical form and continuously cut off into cylinders of the desired length by the revolving blade 64 and dumped through the chute 66 on to the endless conveyor 68 of the bake oven 70. The bake'oven 70 is suitably heated directly, indirectly, or by waste gases of combustion, in any suitable manner as diagrammatically illustrated at 7 2 in the drawdrawing. During passage through the bake oven `70 the amalgam cylinders are suitably baked into hard, strong carbonized masses and freed from all oils and substances tending to cause smoke or flameon later combustion thereof-during a single passage over the endless conveyor 68. The completed cylinders 74 are dumped from the discharging end of the revolving conveyor 68 through the chute 7 6 on to the baked fuel discharging conve-yor 7 8 to a baked fuel storage from which they may be sent to the consumer.

An important characteristic of the baking process I preferably employ in baking amalgam consists in collecting and taking off overhead and condensin the condensable volatiles evolved from t e'baked amalgam during the baking rocess. When anthracite coal is used in orming the amalgam, it is preferable to so conduct the baking operation as not in any appreciable degree .to affect the constituents of the coal, but' if bituminous coal is employed in the manufacture of the amalgam it is quite likely that a certain percentage of lighter oils from the coal may be collected and condensed therefrom in addition to the lighter oils collected and condensedout of the amalgamating stock.

The heavier balance of the amalgamating stock largely consists of asphaltic bodies which becomes carbonized into a solid mass by the pipe 84 to the crude oil and cracking stock storage tank 1, or to any other desired part of the apparatus such as the vaporizer 12 or directly' to the cracking lstill 3 (by means not shown). The condensable volatiles collected and condensed from the baking oven 70 thus comprise the lighter fractions of the original amalgamating stock employed inthe manufacture of amalgam. g

An important feature of my invention consists iny taking these condensable volatiles from the'baked amalgam and recycling and recracking them, thereby breaking them down into additional gasoline and additional amalgamating stock. It is thus apparent that by employing the process as outlined above, I preferably continuously employ the Waste residue from the baking oven and continuously manufacture that into further quantities of gasoline and further amalgamating stock for use in again manufacturing amalgam. Thus, it is apparent that where the operation is continuous and the oil is continuously recycled, a certain amount of the same oil is continuously cracked and broken down into additional amalgamating stock. If desired, the return to the cracking still may be omitted, the condensable volatiles from the baking oven being led directly to a vaporizer (not shown). If the coal yields any condensable volatiles at the temperatures employed in baking, it is apparent that these will be carried along with the lighter oil volatiles and also cracked into gasoline and additional amalgamating stock. It is apparent that after I recycle and preferably recrack and thus conserve the volatiles from the bakinr oven, that the amount of charging stockD necessary for the simultaneous manufacture l of gasoline and baked amalgam needed to be tinuously and simultaneously cracking oil in a manner suitable for producing gasoline and a heavy amalgamating stock, separating gasoline from the amalgamating stock, amalgamating finally pulverize'd carbonaceous material with the amalgamating stock, baking the amalgam and. collecting the condensable distilled volatiles from the baked amalgam during the baking and returning them to the oil being cracked for recycling and recracking into additional gasoline and amalgamating stock.

2. Themethod of producing gasoline andv baked amalgam fuel which comprises continuously and simultaneously 'vaporiz'ing oil in a manner suitable for producing a heavy amalgamating stock, removing and condensing gasoline from the amalgamating stock, amalgamating finely pulveribed carbonaceo-us material with the amalgamating stock, backing the amalgam and condensing and collecting condensable distilled volatiles from the baked amalgam during lthe baking and returning the same to the liquid oil being vaporized.

3. The method of producing gasoline and baked amalgam fuel which comprises cracking charging stock in a manner suitable for producing gasoline and a heavy amalgamating stock, flash vaporizing the cracked stock,

fractionating the vapors liberated during'` flash vaporization; into a gasoline fraction and a residual fraction, dividing the latter fraction into a fraction sufficient to dilute the bottom unvaporized in the flash vaporizing stage to form a suitable amalgamating stock and returning the remainder to the y charging stock, amalgamating finely pulverized carbonaceous material with thel amalgamating stock, baking the amalgam and collecting and condensing the condensable distilled volatiles from the baked amalgam during the baking and returning them to thev chargin stock for recycling and recranking into ad itional gasoline and amalgamating stock.

4. The method of producing gasoline and baked amalgam fuel which comprises continuously and simultaneously cracking charging stock in a manner suitable for producing gasoline and a heavy amalgamating stock, flash vaporizing the cracked stock, fractionating the vapors liberated during flash vaporization; into a gasoline fraction and a residual fraction, dividing the latter fraction into a fraction sufficient to dilute the bottoms un- .Vaporized in the flash vaporizing stage to form a suitable amalgamating stock and re` turning the remainder to the charging stock, amalgamating finely pulverized ca'rbonaceous material with the amalgamating stock, baking the amalgam and collectin and condensing the condensable distille volatiles from the baked amalgam during the baking and returning them to the charging stock for recycling and reci acking into additional gasoline and amalgamating stock. g

5. The method of producing gasoline and baked amalgam fuel which comprises cracking charging stock in a manner suitable for producing gasoline and a heavy'amalgamating stock, flash vaporizin g the cracked stock, fractionatingthevapors liberated during flash vaporization into a gasoline fraction and a residual fraction, amalgamating final pulverized carbonaceous material with the amalgamatingstockformedfromthe residuum of the flash vaporizing and at least a portion of said residual fraction, baking the amalgam and collecting and condensing the condensable distilled volatiles from the baked amalgam during the baking and returning them to the charging stock for recycling and recracking into additional gusolino-,a1id amalgamating stock. i

6. The method of producing gasoline and baked amalgam fuel, which comprises continuously and simultaneously cracking charging stock in a manner suitable for producing gasoline and a heavy amalgamating stock, flash vaporizing the cracked stock, fractionating the vapors liberated during flash vaporization into a gasoline fraction and a residual fraction, amalgamating finely pulverized carbonaceous material with the\ amalgamating'stock formed from the resid-- uum of the flash vaporizing and the fractionating stages, baking the amalgam and collecting and condensing the condensable distilled volatiles from the baked amalgam during the baking and returning them to the charging stock for recycling' and recracking into additional gasoline and amalgamating stock.

7. The method of producing gasoline and baked amalgam fuel which comprises crack ing oil in a manner suitable for producing` gasoline and a heavy yamalgamating stock, removing and condensing gasoline from the amalgamating stock, amalgamating finely pulverized carbonaceous material with the amalgamating stock, baking the amalgam and collecting and condensing the condensable distilled volatiles from the baked amalgam during the baking and returning them to the oil being cracked" for recycling and recracking into additional vgasoline and amalgamating stock.

8. A process for cracking hydrocarbon oil and producing baked solid fuel which comprises subjecting the oil to cracking conditions of temperature and pressure, separating evolved vapors from unvaporized oil, mixing solid carbonaceous material with said unvaporized oil, and baking the resultant mixture, removingvolatiles evolved during the baking and combining the same with the oil being subjected to ycracking conditions of temperature and pressure.

9. A process for cracking hydrocarbon oil and producing baked solid fuel which comprises subjecting the oil to cracking conditions of temperature and pressure, separating evolved vapors from unvaporized oil, partially condensing said vapors thereby forming condensate, adding a portion of said condensate to said unvaporized oil, mixing solid carbonaceous material with the mixture of unvaporized oils and condensate, and baking the resultant mixture, removing volatiles evolved during the baking and combinin the same with the oil being subjected to crac (ing conditions of temperature and pressure.

10. A process for cracking hydrocarbon oil and producing baked solid fuel which com prises subjecting the oil to cracking conditions of temperature and pressure, separating evolved vapors from uuvaporized oil, partially condensing said vapors thereby forming condensate, adding a portion of said condensate to said unvaporized oil, mixing solid carbonaceous material with the mixture of unvaporized oils and condensate, and baking the resultant mixture and combining the remainder of'said condensate with the oil being subjected to cracking conditions of tem* perature and pressure, removing volatiles evolved during the baking and combining the same'with the oil being subjected to crack- `ing conditions of temperature and pressure. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

lVALTER EDVN TRENT.

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